Firetrucks Spread Word On Detectors

Along with hose, axes, air packs and a firefighters, the town of Manchester Fire Department's vehicles now carry a message.

In white letters across 12 of the department's trucks and support vehicles is lettering with a picture of a smoke detector and the words, ``Don't Stay Home Without One.''

After a winter in which a 12-year- old boy died in a fire and several homes in town were damaged, the fire department is eager to remind people of potentially life-saving smoke detectors.

Fire Capt. John C. Rivosa II got the idea when he saw similar messages on trucks at a seminar in Indianapolis recently. One Manchester truck had a similar message on it, but not as snazzy as the new lettering.

When Rivosa came back, he approached Frederick Luck, owner of Frederick Signs in Bolton, to see if they could work something out. Luck, who has put reflective striping and lettering on several department vehicles, liked the idea and said he'd do it for free.

Last week, Luck spent about 10 hours making the 1 1/2-foot by 10- inch signs and putting them on the vehicles. The last truck to get the lettering was on a call on East Center Street when Luck was ready to put the sign on, so he went to the scene of the call.

Luck said he hoped other fire departments would like the idea and hire him to put signs on their trucks. The job would have run about $15 or $20 per vehicle, he said.